Better Farm on Friday will host a "Rainwater Catchment Systems", a two-hour workshop about harvesting rainwater for irrigation or non-potable water, from 1-3 p.m.

In this workshop, participants will learn about various methods for catching rainwater including commercial set-ups and simple systems anyone can use. Attendees will then put their know-how to use by installing a simple catchment system that will be hooked up to sink in Better Farm's Art Barn.
There is a suggested $10 donation for any workshops scheduled at Better Farm to cover basic material costs. Pre-registration is required! Please contact us at info@betterfarm.org or (315) 482-2536 with any questions or to pre-register. For Better Farm's full summer workshop schedule, click here. For a listing of arts-related events and workshops, click here.

Here's a quick list of the other workshops we have slated here in the next week:

Fundamentals of ViolinAll Ages
10 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday, June 16
In this workshops, students will learn proper technique on violin, finger positions, and basic scales. Instructor will be available at the conclusion of the series to sign people up for private instruction if desired.Instructor: Brian Purwin is a professional violinist and pianist living in Redwood, N.Y.Cost: Free
Note: Pre-register by e-mailing info@betterarts.org or calling (315) 482-2536. When you pre-register, let us know if you need to borrow a violin! Free, day-long rentals are being made available through a partnership with Trillium Performing Arts Center.

Intro to GuitarAll Ages
1-3 p.m. Saturday, June 16
In
this course students will learn basic chord progressions, finger
positionings, and a song with music to take home. Each participant must
come to workshop with his or her own guitar and strings.Instructor:
Chad Darou has been playing music since he was 8. He has played dobro
on stage and in studio with such greats as Bill Keith, Bill Harrell,
Frank Wakefield, The Gibson Brothers, Dan Tyminski, Lonesome River Band,
Dell Reeves, Bill Anderson, Ray Legere and the Abrams Brothers.
Cost: Free
Note: Pre-register by e-mailing info@betterarts.org or calling (315) 482-2536.

Knitting and Crocheting CircleAll ages
6 p.m. Monday, June 18
People are invited to bring their ongoing knitting and crochet projects to work on. Instructor will be available to answer questions and provide support. Those interested in learning how to knit and/or crochet are invited to sit in with their questions. Yarn and needles will be avaiable for those who do not have their own.
Instructor: Theresa McDonald
Cost: Free
Note: Pre-register by e-mailing info@betterarts.org or calling (315) 482-2536. When you pre-register, please let us know if you'll be bringing your own yarns and needles or if you need us to provide them.

Nicole Caldwell is a self-taught environmentalist, green-living savant and
sustainability educator with more than a decade of professional writing
experience. She is also the co-founder of Better Farm and president of
betterArts. Nicole’s work has been featured in Mother Earth News, Reader’s
Digest, Time Out New York, and many other publications. Her first book,
Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living, is due out this July
through New Society Publishers.

Better Farm

Coming home to roost.

Monday mornings with Finnegan. ❤️

Queen.

Kobayashi Maru, patron saint of Better Farm, maxing in a patch of tall grass on a perfectly sunny day.

GREAT day for a ride!

So inspiring to be part of this evening’s Health and Wellness Fair at LaFargeville Central School, where students are on the cutting edge of sustainable practices with on-site vertical gardens, Brita Hydration Stations in the hallways, dual-flush toilets in the bathrooms, solar panels and wind turbines providing power, and rubber-rolled roofing reflecting sunlight off the building. And that’s just the beginning! These folks have earned their Silver LEED certification and it was a pleasure to make art and plant garlic with so many exceptional humans. 🙌🏼

Sunday brunchin’

Mighty productive Saturday morning as we raze an old shed and rescue a 19th-century stone wall from Better Farm’s original barn. Stay tuned...

Each year, we commit to adding at least 100 trees on Better Farm’s property, with 2018 marking our 800th tree going into the ground. We’re celebrating with 50 white spruces, a dozen or so fruit trees, several hardwoods, flowering beauties like peony trees and hydrangeas, and a slew of willows. The baby spruces arrived today and are taking a soak before being tucked into their new homes.

Repost from @habituallyhaley — Sunday funday hangs in the yoga trapeze at @betterfarm

Big thanks to SUNY ESF’s Society for Ecological Restoration group for helping to install this living wall in one of the bathrooms at Better Farm. Bathrooms, with all their steam and moisture, are perfect places for living wall installations featuring vines, spider plants and succulents.

Students from SUNY-ESF’s Society for Ecological Restoration have officially infiltrated Better Farm for a weekend of unwinding, team building, family meals, seed starting and a little heavy lifting.

Happy Easter!

Origami farm.

Aquaponic fish hard at work. The fish we raise in our aquaponics system are cast aways from fairs, given to us by folks who no longer want them, or are minnows left over from fishermen’s lake excursions. Every spring, we release several of the biggest fish into a pond on the property so they can enjoy a cushy retirement with tons of space and adventures. Our way of saying thanks for them helping us grow tasty greens all year long. 🐟